When Sanjay Beach came to the Green Bay Packers as a free agent in 1992, he was admittedly spoiled by the quarterbacks he played with at his previous place of employment.

In his two seasons with the talent-laden San Francisco 49ers, future Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young were under center in head coach George Seifert's prolific West Coast offense.

So it's easy to forgive Beach for his initial assessment of Brett Favre in his first extended game action in a Packer uniform at Tampa Bay.

Favre replaced starter Don Majkowski, who was injured in the first half of the Buccaneers' 31-3 rout. The young backup confidently entered the huddle, but he called the wrong play.

"As the No. 2, Brett didn't get many reps in practice, and Sterling Sharpe and I weren't sure what to do," Beach said with a laugh. "I thought to myself, 'This could be ugly.'"

And it was.

"Well, I ran a route and looked back and saw Brett's pass bounce off a (lineman's) helmet. Brett caught it himself for a short loss.

"When I got back near the huddle I told Sterling, 'I don't think he's going to make it.' Then I caught his first completion. And of course I was wrong about Brett, so I can say I played with three Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Brett worked hard and developed into one of the best."

Beach played just one season in Green Bay, catching 17 passes for 122 yards (7.2 avg.) and one touchdown. Beach's lone touchdown reception came at Lambeau Field in a 23-20 loss to the rival Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 6, 1992.

This was pre-Lambeau Leap, so Beach simply ran off the field with the football.

"It was my first score, so I ended up keeping the ball," Beach said. "Still got it in my basement."

After putting up solid numbers at Colorado State University as a wide receiver, the former Chandler (Ariz.) High School running back was released by the Dallas Cowboys in 1988 after suffering an ankle injury during training camp.

The following season he was signed as a free agent with the New York Jets, but was "back to square one" when head coach Joe Walton was fired after a dismal 4-12 record. Beach then moved on to San Francisco and was on the development squad in 1990 before making the 49ers' active roster in 1991.

He played on special teams and saw limited action on an offense featuring Jerry Rice and John Taylor, catching four passes for 43 yards with no touchdowns. When 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren was named the new head coach of the Packers, Beach was signed by Wolf.

"Mike and Sherm (Lewis, offensive coordinator) wanted to bring Sanjay to Green Bay," Wolf said. "He was familiar with the offense and had an opportunity to compete for a starting job and help show the other receivers how to run the routes in a new system."

First, Beach had to make the team in a very competitive training camp. He had a unique way of breaking the monotony and stress of camp, bolting after practice to the Fox River with backup quarterback Ty Detmer.

"I caught a few walleyes behind our dorm at St. Norbert's," Beach said. "Ty and I hustled back from practice and had a little fishing derby on the river. We'd see who could catch the most fish before we caught a nap before the next practice."

While Beach did make the cut and became a starter, he was already planning for life after the NFL.

"I was a free agent and knew the door could slam shut at any time," he said. "I loved playing football, and it was a great blessing at the time. But I knew I had to prepare for a career after football."

Beach had extra incentive: he was married with a newborn daughter.

"That was my motivation," he said. "I knew how hard I was working to stay in the league. It gave me peace of mind to know I had something after football. I couldn't control injuries or if football ended. All I could control is my effort."

From discussions with Young, who was studying for his law degree at Brigham Young, Beach also aspired to pursue a career as an attorney. Green Bay did not have a university that offered a law degree, so he decided instead to study financial planning and investment.

When he wasn't catching Favre's darts, he was interning at Shearson Lehman Brothers in Green Bay.

"I cut my teeth and I got registered," Beach said.

Beach started 11 games in that one season in Green Bay, but he was not re-signed and finished his professional career with the 49ers in 1993.

"It was exciting for me to be with the Packers and coach Holmgren and having a chance to start," Beach said.

Beach, who had a bachelor's degree in communications, earned his MBA in finance from Colorado State in 2006.

Today, he and his wife, Kristy, and four children reside in Westlake, Ohio, where he is a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch.

And Beach, who is 48, still follows his former NFL teams.

"I don't live and die with it, but as a family we watch the games," he said. "I'll always look back fondly at my time in Green Bay and in the NFL.

"But you can't play football forever, and I'm glad I have another career I'm passionate about."